Women’s basketball prepares for 2014-2015 season

After the Norwich Women’s Basketball team ended last season with a winning 15-13 record, players are eager to finish number one in their division and bring home the trophy this season, according to the head coach.

“(We have) a great group of returning players, that are led by all-conference guards seniors Aliah Curry and Kelsey Lotti,” said head coach Mark Zacher.
The lady Cadets made it to the finals game last season against Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. They were unable to finish off with a championship win, but the players are determined and motivated this season to make it all the way.
“One of the weakness of this team is having to replace the point guard, which is kind of the quarterback on a basketball team,” said Zacher. “So that is probably the biggest need to have someone step in that leadership position.”
The Norwich University’s basketball team lost three seniors: Tylita Butler, Kristin Brown, and Erin Clark. That leaves three key positions on the team that need to be filled.
There are four freshmen who joined the basketball team, Ari Harrison, Brianna Sheftel, Emily Bonomi, and Shyann Jossier.
“The freshmen are very athletic and are working extremely hard to fill the positions of the seniors who left the team,” said Kayla Mercer, 19, a sophomore nursing major from New Britain, Conn.
The women’s basketball team practices six out of seven days a week. The team focuses on improving stamina and conducts drills that will benefit the players on the court during games.
“Practices are really tough, but my teammates and I know that they will benefit us in the long run because we have some really tough games this season and we ultimately want to win the championship,” said Leanne Winans, 19, a six-foot forward from Hudson, N.H., who is a sophomore in business management.
Among the tough upcoming games are matches against Emmanuel College, Albertus Magnus College, and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, which are particularly hard and will be a challenge for the team.
“We are looking like we have a really good team that works together, has great communication on the court, and can motivate and push each other to our greatest potential,” said Leah Turcotte, 20, a junior athletic training major from North Highlands, Cal., who plays guard on the team.
“We want to be the most competitive basketball team in the league and I want us to be better than the day before because ultimately the team that we compete against is ourselves,” said head coach Zacher.
The Cadets’ first game is at UMass.-Dartmouth at 12 p.m. on Nov. 15, followed the next day by a game against Presque-Isle, Maine.